Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 37:19
And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
19. this dreamer ] Heb. master of dreams. This and the following verse are from E. Joseph’s brethren speak derisively of this “master (Heb. baal) of dreams” (cf. Gen 49:23, “archers” = “masters of arrows”; 2Ki 1:8, “a hairy man” = “a master of hair”). They will kill him, and so stop his dreams from coming true.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 19. Behold, this dreamer cometh.] baal hachalomoth, this master of dreams, this master dreamer. A form of speech which conveys great contempt.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Heb.
This master of dreams, this crafty dreamer, that covers his own ambitious designs and desires with pretences or fictions of dreams.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. Behold, this dreamercomethliterally, “master of dreams”a bitterlyironical sneer. Dreams being considered suggestions from above, tomake false pretensions to having received one was detested as aspecies of blasphemy, and in this light Joseph was regarded by hisbrethren as an artful pretender. They already began to form a plotfor Joseph’s assassination, from which he was rescued only by theaddress of Reuben, who suggested that he should rather be cast intoone of the wells, which are, and probably were, completely dried upin summer.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they said one to another,…. According to the Targum of Jonathan, Simeon and Levi said what follows: nor is it unlikely, since they were hot, passionate, cruel, and bloody minded men, as appears by the affair of Shechem; and perhaps this may be the reason why Joseph afterwards, when governor of Egypt, took Simeon and bound him,
Ge 42:24; which was but a just retaliation for his advice to cast him into a pit when slain:
behold, this dreamer cometh; or “master of dreams” r; not of the interpretation of them, but of dreaming them; that had them at his command when he pleased, as they jeeringly flouted him; as if he was a framer and contriver of them, and only pretended to them when he had none, or else that he was frequently dreaming and telling his dreams; this they said in a sarcastic way, and, perhaps, as pleased, and rejoicing that such an opportunity offered to take their revenge on him: this shows that it was on the account of his dreams chiefly that they bore such a grudge against him, that this was uppermost on their minds, and was revived at first sight of him, and from whence their malice sprung.
r “magister somniorum”, Tigurine version, Montanus; “dominus somniorum”, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(19) This dreamer.Heb., this lord of dreams, a phrase expressive of contempt.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19. This dreamer Heb, this master (or lord) of the dreams . We may suppose Joseph seeing them afar with joy, glad to find them after his long journey and searching . But they see him with malicious envy .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Gen 37:19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
Ver. 19. Behold, this dreamer. ] This captain dreamer, or, this architect of dreams. A lewd scoff, and, by it, a cruel calumny. Envy, so it may gall, or kill, cares not how true or false it be, that, it allegeth: it usually aggravates the matter beyond truth, to do mischief, as here. Their hearts were so big, swollen with spite and spleen, that they could not call him by his name, but “this dreamer.” So the Pharisees called our Saviour, “this fellow.” Luk 23:2 And “the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?” – – Joh 7:11 They could not find in their hearts to say, Where is Jesus? as Saul asked not for David, but for “the son of Jesse,” by way of contempt. Christ tells his disciples that men shall, in hatred of them, cast out their names for evil, for his sake. Luk 6:22 Their persons should be proscribed, and their names expunged, as unworthy to breathe in the common air. That like as we give names to newly born babes; so when we cannot afford to mention a man’s name, it shows we wish him out of the world: a Nomine Christianorum deleto, qui Remp. exercebant. So those bloody tyrants of the primitive times sounded the triumph beforehand, and engraved the victory they never got, upon pillars of marble. Ubicunque invenitur nomen Calvini, deleatur, saith the Index Expurgatorius. After Stephen Brune the martyr’s death, his adversaries commanded it to he cried, that none should make any more mention of him, under pain of heresy. b So in Queen Mary’s days, one Tooly, hanged for felony, for defying the Pope, was, after his death, suspended and excommunicated; and strict charge given, that no man should eat or drink with him; or if any met him by the way, he should not bid him good morrow, or call him by his name. c It was not for nothing, surely, that our Saviour, in token of hearty reconciliation, requires men to greet their enemies, and to call them friendly by their names. Mat 5:47
a Sic apud Latinos dicebantur capitis diminutionem pati, qui ex albo a censoribus expungebantur.
b Act. and Mon., fol. 820.
c Ibidem, fol. 1439.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
dreamer. Hebrew master (or lord, Baal) of dreams.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Behold: Simulated Irony: Where the words in question are used by man either in dissimulation or hypocrisy. For other instances of this figure, see note on 2Sa 6:20, Psa 22:8, Isa 5:19, Mat 22:16, Mat 27:29, Mat 27:40, Mat 27:42, Mat 27:43, Mar 15:29.
dreamer: Heb. master of dreams, Gen 37:5, Gen 37:11, Gen 28:12, Gen 49:23, *marg.
Reciprocal: Gen 43:26 – bowed Gen 44:20 – a child Exo 2:14 – Who Pro 19:21 – many Mat 26:68 – Prophesy Mat 27:23 – Why Luk 23:35 – derided